The Past and the Future
by WinterShadow
Summary: A Trinity Blood and Inuyasha crossover. Seth is kidnapped and somehow finds herself in the feudal era with no clue how to get back. Will she find her way home, even with Cain and Naraku after her? Or will she be trapped in the past forever?
1. Friends or Foes?

**A.N:**** This is a Trinity Blood/ Inuyasha crossover. This has a pairing of Ion/ Seth. In this point in my stories, they're already a couple and parents. Also, Seth bit Ion, if it's possible, so now he's something close to a crusnik now too.**

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**The Past, and the Future**

Damn it… 

Cold fingers held her still. Two methuselahian guards, of the Rosen Cruetz, escorted her down a path. She didn't know where she was but she did managed to make some inferences.

1). She in a forest, an ancient one by the looks of it.

2). She wasn't in Kansas anymore…

Well, that was one way to put it, since there was the fact that a four-eyed fox was staring at her from the cover of a nearby bush.

A black strand fell into her green eyes. Unfounatly, having both arms held firmly behind her back, it seemed it was going to have to stay there for quite a while.

Perhaps you're wondering how and why she was here…

Well…the answer was quite simple:  
Her brother was nuts!  
Cain had the bright idea, after managing to slip past her guards and capturing her, to have her transported and abandoned in this strange place. Anything, she guessed, to have her out of his way.

Strange indeed she recapped…

Already Seth had seen many unusual creatures, so unusual, in fact, that she wondered if they were actually demons. Another reason was the fact that this area seemed untamed by human hands.

The girl focused back on her present problem.

She had no idea where she was being taken.

And she was not about to find out…

Fiercely, she dug her feet into the ground for a sudden stop and twisted in their grasp. In mere seconds, she managed to wretch herself free. Confusion sweep over the two guards even they struggled to reclaim their hold on her, their hands snatching after her frantically. She fought off their limbs and sprinted off through the still trees.

Already, the men's frustrated cries barely reached her ears. She had no idea where she was going but anywhere was better then in their hands. She kept her senses alert; there was no telling what lurked here.

A growl stopped her cold…

Something stirred and shifted up ahead. Whatever it was lifted its great head from the vegetation.

A chill shot up her lithe spine. The creature seemed to be an overgrown serpent. It's murderous hissing seemed to go right through her.

Despite only being in her terran disguise, she was ready.

Blocking out the hissing, Seth drew her knives. The blades glistened sharply in the sun.

So did the beast's fangs as it opened its drooling mouth. Its long body was dark green with sleek, shinning scales. Lidless eyes stared into hers with a yellow gaze.

Swiftly, the snake struck, but it was no match for her speed. The creature's fangs dislodged a heap of dirt as it struck the ground instead of her flesh. Another hiss escaped it as it rose and poised for its next attack.

The crusnik dug her heels into the dust, her eyes alive with the thrill of battle; her kind was practically bred to fight. Seth held the beast's gaze and, almost like a charmed reptile, the beast followed hers. It continued to hiss lowly but it seemed less interested in fighting her. Perhaps it saw her hidden power in her emerald eyes.

Or maybe not…

Without warning, the serpent struck. Yet, even then she was ready. Instinctively, she held up her daggers. The creature's fangs clashed against her blades as they stopped them in their tracks.

Now, it was a match of strength. Only one question hung in the air:

Who would be the first to give?

The girl gritted her teeth with effort and held her weapons as firmly as she could manage. The snake's breath was nauseating to her sensitive nose and nearly made her sick to her stomach.

A growl rumbled from the demon's throat as it begun to push her back. Becoming desperate, Seth acted quickly. She twisted her daggers sharply and knocked the creature to the ground.

Mouth agape, the snake writhed in the dust as it struggled to get up. Body thrashing, it managed to rise. Seth readied herself once more, knives gleaming with her legs tensed. She took a sliding step forward; the beast seemed to be waiting for her to drop her guard.

The wind whipped around them ominously, kicking up debris and ruffling her clothes and ebony locks. The tension was thick in the air. Both of them stared the other down. A low hiss echoed from her opponent and she slid forward with another cautious step.

"Wind Scar!"

A shout broke the silence and the crusnik felt a great force rushing towards them. She turned her quickly and saw a huge surge of power.

At once, she dove to one side, instinctively covering her head.

The uninvited force shook the ground and tore a gaping gorge into the earth; dirt showered her abruptly. Dust kicked up, blinding her briefly.

It cleared several moments later…

Six new figures wandered into view: five people and one animal:

Two young women, two men, a young boy with a foxtail, and a two tailed cat…

Carefully, she sat up. Seth watched them cautiously.

What was going on? Why did they attack them?

Us, She pondered? Was there even an 'us' anymore?

The girl turned her sight on the serpent.

Well…that was a big fat 'no'…

Not too far away, the snake's destroyed corpse laid in a twisted, bloody mass, its body split by the blast.

She had been the lucky one, the one fast enough to get out of the way.

But now she was out in the open with her opponent's killers drawing ever closer….

Strange scents assaulted her keen nose. Three of the newcomers were human, but the remaining aromas she could not identify. However, they smelled somewhat similar to the reptile. One even seemed to be half-and-half.

How very strange…

Yet, Seth had no time to ponder. The unusual group had seen her…

The human scents came from the two black haired teenage girls and the dark-haired monk. The unfamiliar scents came from the fox boy and the twin-tailed cat. The most unusual one came from the dog-eared, silver-haired male, who appeared to be the leader.

But were they friends or foes?

She, once again, was not about to found out the hard way…

Crusnik reflex and instinct took over. Still on the ground, she became a helpless child. Her hands found their way to her already teary eyes. Seth then let out a couple fake, yet convincing, sobs.

She hated playing a damsel in distress and acting young and helpless but this was precaution had to take. She couldn't risk a large conflict.

Seth received a response immediately…

"Oh! You poor girl!" One of the females exclaimed, running to her.

Before she knew it, she was swept up in the teenager's arms. The crusnik couldn't help but flinch at how easily the human lifted and held her. Seth let out several more sobs and looked up at the young woman with crocodile tears slipping down her pale cheeks. She fawned a wide, innocent look. To seal the deal, she stopped her fake crying and tilted her head at her cutely.

As expected, the woman beamed down at her," Aw…you're so adorable..." she gushed before her tone became more assuring," Don't worry. You're safe now. What's your name, little one?"

Seth hesitated for a moment before answering with innocent politeness," Seth, ma'am. And yours?"

The teenager gazed down at her now with a mother's look as she turned and slowly wandered back to the others," Its Kagome, Kagome Higurashi," she then looked up to see her friends," Hey, look! I found this girl. She must have been attacked by the demon,"

Seth couldn't help but secretly twitch a black eyebrow.

_Yeah and I was handling myself quite well until you butted in, _Seth growled mentally.

The others gazed at her with interest. The other female took a few steps towards them, so that she stood at Kagome's side.

"Oh, you poor thing. Are you alright?" she asked, worry sparkling in her dark brown eyes.

The child-empress fixed her green gaze on the new woman with an imploring look," Yes, thanks to you miss,"

The woman smiled at her warmly," No. Actually, it wasn't me that destroyed that demon. It was Inuyasha," she corrected gently," My name's Sango, and yours?"

Seth was about to answer when Kagome, to her relief of not repeating herself, spoke up for her.

"Her name's Seth. Do you think she's an orphan?" Kagome asked the other woman, ignoring her at the moment.

Sango looked thoughtful," Maybe. We can't make assumptions just yet," she answered," Maybe she should stay with us for awhile, until we find her parents, or some village that'll take her in,"

This time, a new voice joined the conversion. The monk spoke up, looking just as thoughtful as Sango. He seemed to agree with her. He stepped forward and motioned slightly with his hand, the rings on his gold staff jingling with his movement.

"That's seems to be the most reasonable choice. We can't just leave her. There's no telling what would happen to her," he backed up. He then turned to the red-clad Inuyasha," What do you say, Inuyasha. You don't happen to have any objections, do you?"

The teenage-looking boy closed his eyes and crossed his arms somewhat stubbornly.

"Fine, she can come. Just find her somewhere quick. We can't afford any distractions," he muttered.

Abruptly, the boy's nose twitched. He then opened his gold eyes and began sniffing audibly. His gaze fixed on her. Behind him the fox boy piped up.

"What is it, Inuyasha? You smell something?" he questioned.

He didn't answer but kept his sniffing. Then, slowly, he began to follow it…

Right to her…

By now, Inuyasha was just a few feet away from her. But the distance shrunk all too quickly. Before Seth knew it, the boy's nose was twitching just a few inches from hers. The empress tried to keep a straight, innocent face, despite her ever-growing panic.

She knew what he smelt was her. She remembered suddenly, that there was probably no methuslahs here, nor crusniks, for that matter. There were only terrans, or normal humans here, and possibly demons, though she still didn't know for sure.

Unconsciously, she shrank back in Kagome's arms, praying that the little distance she moved away would somehow throw the dog-eared boy off.

It didn't…

But salvation came in another form…

'Inuyasha, knock it off! You're scaring her!"

Both her and Inuyasha stopped cold and looked up to the scolder:

Kagome…

The woman was practically glaring at the silver-haired male. Inuyasha seemed just as surprised as her, if not a little intimated.

"But Kagome…" he whined," This little brat you found-"

He didn't get a chance to finish.

"Inuyasha, there's nothing wrong with her! Quit being so suspicious! She's just a child!" she barked.

Seth couldn't help but smile. It looked like she was saved…

For now…

To her surprise, the boy kept at it, more firmly then before.

"But Kagome," this time, his whine was more of a growl," This girl isn't human!"

Bad move…

"Inuyasha…" Kagome growled, almost as a warning. Inuyasha seemed alarmed at once, as if something bad was sure to happen," SIT!"

All at once, the necklace around Inuyasha's neck glowed and seemed to pull him down with great force. Less then a second later, the boy was facedown in a mini crater, twitching slightly.

A giggle involuntarily escaped Seth at the sight. To her surprise, the woman laughed too, just as softly. Gently, she adjusted her in his hold, coaxing the girl to glance up at her.

Kagome had lovely brown eyes and ebony hair, similar to hers but much longer, that framed her pale face. The female, who seemed to be no older then fifteen, wore a pretty school uniform, consisting of a white shirt and green skirt.

" Don't worry about him. He's not as mean as he looks," she assured. The woman then stopped laughing and tilted her head slightly," So, where are your parents, Seth?"

The crusnik's breath caught in her throat.

What could she say?

Seth's mind raced, trying desperately to think of an answer. Her voice struggled to work, especially since she was receiving another suspicious look from the rising Inuyasha.

"Um, I, uh…" the girl's words tripped over each other, until, finally, she discovered a suitable answer for the situation and for a child that they thought she was," They're dead…the monster killed them," she whimpered, faking tears once more, this time more lightly.

The group's eyes saddened at once, obviously believing her lie. The monk was the first to find words to speak.

"Well…" he started somberly," We better find you someplace else to live then, since we can't take you with us…"

Seth jumped when the quiet fox boy offered a suggestion," How about Kaede's village? I bet she won't mind taking her in,"

The others smiled in agreement and Kagome looked down at her again,' How does that sound?" she asked sweetly, obviously happy with the decision.

Though not completely sure, Seth nodded coyly. At her answer, Kagome, Sango, the monk and the fox boy, all turned their eyes to their dog-eared leader.

Inuyasha nodded affirmatively," Let's go…It'll be dark soon…"

No sooner then he said that, then he began to walk off. Almost obediently, the others followed. The fox boy jumped up on the monk's shoulder, while the twin-tailed cat, which had yet to make a sound, settled on Sango's.

Seth remained quiet for while, thinking about what had happened so far. A feeling of sorrow passed over her, as she realized how far from home she was, how far she was from her beloved people and her family. She already missed them so very much. She had gotten so attached to her country, that she, often found it hard to stray from it too long, especially against her will, much like today. The empress prayed she would find a way back soon, or else, she feared, that she would come home to a scorched ruin; the peace between the two races was so delicate that it was bound to collapse without her.

A sudden annoyance breached her thoughts. Seth was getting sick of being carried. She might have been playing a helpless child, but still! Her legs weren't broken…

Carefully, she squirmed in the female's arms, at least giving her a hint. Kagome responded instantly.

"Yes? What's wrong?" she questioned softly.

The girl looked up at her, making sure her restlessness was noticeable. She spoke cautiously, speaking as if each word was a step on thin ice.

"I want to walk now. Can I Miss. Kagome?" she asked, being sure never to lose that child-like charm.

The woman smiled warmly and gently lowered her to ground. For a moment, Seth hoped she would allow her to walk unattended, a hope that was dashed when Kagome grasped her smaller hand. She wanted to pull away, but she didn't. She didn't want to risk anymore suspicion.

She fawned contentness, even as she followed them off into the unknown…

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**A.N****: First chapter finished. I hope you enjoyed this. BTW: Seth was kidnapped when Cain and the RCO ambushed the palace and knocked her out. When she woke up she was on their ship, that had already landed. She was then shortly escorted outside, where the story started. I've decided to make some changes to this section. I think it was too long for one chapter and could be easily broken into more chapters.**


	2. Feudal Hospitality

**A.N:**** Another notice: I've decided to break the original first chapter into three separate chapters.**

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**Feudal Hospitality**

"We're almost there. I bet you're excited,"

Kagome looked down at her, his gaze seemingly forever warm, not knowing how ignorant she was about the girl whose hand she held. Seth forced herself to smile as well, although, truthfully, she planned to ditch the village as soon as she would be able.

She didn't belong here. She belonged in the Empire, in Byzantium, with her people, with family, with her husband, with her daughter and her brother.

But she would just have to be patient for now and take this one careful step at a time…

"Yes, very," she lied again," Thank you,"

The teenager giggled and looked back up to fix her gaze back on the hill they were climbing.

Seth knew the village was just over the hill. Peace was thick in the air and she enjoyed it thoroughly. The wind whispered softly through the forest and animals called as well, some sounding unfamiliar. The world here was unpolluted, unscarred by humanity. Part of her wished to stay, but she knew that was not an option; her life, her future, was in Byzantium.

A sudden scream ripped through the silence…

Everyone froze, fearing rising, ears alert.

Seth watched with slight adoration as Inuyasha's dog-ears twitched cutely. She had to admit those ears were adorable. She listened carefully as well, and heard struggles below, as well as screaming, and crashing.

The village was under attack.

"DEMON!" another scream rang out though the air.

Everyone moved at once, dashing up towards the edge. Seth kept up easily, especially now that Kagome was kind enough to release her hand. A gasp escaped her own mouth as she spotted what was causing havoc:

A great blue eye floated menacingly among the many wooden houses.

Okay, could this place get any weirder?

Frozen with bewilderment, the girl nearly jumped when someone yanked at her shirt lightly, urging her to move.

"Come on!"

She looked up swiftly to see the fox boy standing before her, waiting anxiously.

Letting up a bit on her act, she nodded firmly," Right," and raced after him and the others.

As she neared the demon, her eyes widened. Inuyasha faced the creature, sword drawn. It wasn't the beast that shocked her; it was Inuyasha's weapon. It had appeared thin in its sheath that she had noticed hanging at his waist, but now it was huge and obviously deadly, its great fang-like blade glistened lethally in the evening light.

The girl glanced around…

Villagers cowered in their huts, children clinging to their parents. Kagome and the others stood off to the side of the battle, ready to lend a hand, weapons ready. Kagome wielded a bow and arrow and, Sango, the giant boomerang she had carried on her back that Seth, for some odd reason hadn't noticed until now. Miroku on the other hand, held nothing but his long staff, while the fox boy trembled slightly not far from him, obviously dreading combat.

But she wasn't sure what to do, to help or continue to pretend to be a helpless child. If she showed her true nature and abilities now, there was no telling how they would react. She decided to wait and see what happened.

At the moment, Inuyasha and the demon stared each other down, seeing who would make the first move. Both moved slightly, tensing as they prepared to fight. The eyeball blinked strangely and Inuyasha growled lowly, clutching the handle of his sword tightly.

As she expected, the boy leapt at the creature, blade ready to strike. The blow struck true, hitting the beast right in the center. Yet, for some reason, the blade didn't cut but was knocked away, sending the dog-eared leader back. The force of it was great enough to bury Inuyasha partly in a shallow crater. The boy struggled to rise to feet, but before he was ready, the demon flew at him.

Acting quickly on reflex, Seth summoned a faction of her powers and sent a powerful wave of it at the creature. Within seconds, it was shredded to pieces, the force of the blast blinding the watchers.

Inuyasha seemed dumbfounded; he stared, wide-eyed at the corpse of his opponent.

"What the-?" He muttered.

Seth already figured out how to handle this. She jumped up in fake excitement.

"Wow! That was amazing! You beat him!" She exclaimed, running up to him with false idolization.

The dog-eyed boy paused for a moment, still trying to register what had happened. Finally, he took the bait.

"Yeah…I guess I did…" he laughed slowly. He then reached out to ruffle her hair," See. You don't have to worry about demons with me around,"

Seth laughed as well," Yeah, that's kinda obvious,"

Ego expanding, Inuyasha laughed again, even flexing his arms a bit for show. The girl continued to laugh, however fake. _Idiot…_She remarked mentally._ Well…this one isn't the sharpest blade in the armory…_

"Well, what do you know?" Kagome mused several yards away, lowering her bow," He did it…" she turned to the monk," Did you see what happened, Miroku?"

The man looked just as clueless," No…Shippo?" he looked down at the fox boy, who shrugged," Not me…" Shippo answered," How strange…Did anyone see what happened?"

Seth shook her head as well, if not hastily. She glanced around at the village. Most of the residents seemed just as puzzled but some of them…she figured they had seen what she had done, and noticed that they were now wary of her. Yet she paid them little mind; she would be ditching this place soon anyway…

"Kaede, over here!" she heard Sango call.

Seth turned her head and an elderly woman strolled out of a nearby house. Her grayish brown hair was up in a neat ponytail. An eye-patch covered one eye and she wore clothes that were a bit old-fashioned, well to Seth anyway; everyone else here was dressed similar to Kaede, except for Kagome.

Then it hit the crusnik:

Not only had she changed countries, but time periods as well. And judging from her earlier studies, this seemed to be Feudal Japan.

Very interesting…

"Ah…what a pleasant surprise," the old woman mused," What brings you here? Did something happen?"

Slowly, the group gathered near her hut. Much to her aggravation, as Kagome did so, she, unfortunately, didn't forget how much she liked to carry her, and picked her up without a word. Kaede's eye fell on her the second she did so.

"Yes. We found this child. Her parents were killed by a snake demon," Miroku explained seriously," We were hoping someone here could take care of her,"

The woman nodded," Aye…Anyone is welcome here, especially a young orphan," she answered," In fact, I think I'll be the one to take of her, maybe I'll even raise her to be a priestess…Now…come inside. Day is fading…"

Kaede wandered back inside her hut and the others followed. As soon as they were inside, the empress observed it carefully.

It seemed to be an old house. A fireplace sat in the dead center, several blankets were laid out in the corner, and a store of herbs sat in another. Other then that, the place was empty.

They settled around the fireplace contently, enjoying its crimson heat as it threw shadows against the walls of the dimming dwelling. Seth sat in between Kagome and Shippo quietly, unsure of what to do. She felt a bit out of place here; so much so that she even found it hard to met the gaze of her hosts. Instead, she just watched the shadow puppets as they danced about the house. But even with that distraction she found it difficult not to eavesdrop on the present conversation.

"So, any leads on Naraku?" Kaede questioned, a grave tone in her wizening voice.

Kagome shook her head," No, nothing yet," she sighed with slight frustration.

Naraku? Wait a minute! She had heard of him before, but only once. She had heard Cain speaking of him, shortly after he captured her. Unfounatly, she didn't catch who he was, but she figured he was trouble. Apparently, he was for them for certain.

"Well…there's no point in worrying about him at the moment. Just relax for now, rest your weary bodies," Kaede muttered softly, beginning to cook some food in an old pot that she had placed over the fire.

Already, it smelt delious. Her mouth began to water ever so slightly, especially since, now that she thought about it, she hadn't eaten a bite since yesterday morning. Luckily, she had been trained to put up with hungry and thirst for days, and she had managed to ignore her growling stomach up until now, now that there was food on the fire.

The food cooked quickly. Kaede passed out the food in generous potions. She herself ended up getting a good-sized meal on her plate. The dinner was fish and rice and she began eating it at once, just like the others, who seemed just as hungry.

The meal was over in just a few minutes. Everyone had cleaned their plates.

"Wow, Seth! You must have been hungry!" Kagome mused next to her.

The girl smiled at her," Yes, very," and turned to face the old woman across from her," Thank you for the meal, Miss. Kaede,"

The old priestess laughed gently," It was no problem at all child, afterall, this is going to be your home from now on. I hope ye don't mind living with me,"

Seth let out a tiny giggle," No, not at all, ma'am," she lied.

Kaede nodded and turned her head to gaze out the window. Seth did the same.

Outside, night had already fallen over the land. Crickets sung their midnight tune and the moon and stars shone brightly against the dark blue sky. Seth couldn't help but notice how clear and beautiful the sky looked here; it was breathtaking to a newcomer like her.

"You should be in bed soon. You need your rest for tomorrow,"

At her words, the others moved about slowly in a tired daze. Each of them grabbed a blanket and laid them out in their own little spot. The girl went to do the same but found that Kagome had already done it for her.

"Here you go. You can sleep next to me,"

The female crusnik hesitated for moment before nodded with appreciation," Thanks," before settling into the makeshift bed.

Despite being just a blanket and a small pillow, her bed was actually quite comfy. Around her, the others were settling down as well. Seth hoped that the comfiness of her bunk wouldn't affect her plans to leave when they were asleep.

The lights blew out, the room fell silent.

Within minutes, the girl drifted off to sleep…

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**A.N:****R&R**


	3. Brush with Death

**A.N:**** Chapter three of the split original first chapter.**

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**Brush with Death**

Emerald eyes flew open in the dark.

A chill slipped up Seth's spine. A menacing presence had pierced her dreams.

Cain…

He was close, too close… 

Silently, she sat up and glanced about the room. The humans were still asleep, their forms rising and falling steadily under their covers.

Seth quieted her breath and stood up.

She had to leave, now! Otherwise, Cain would kill her, and even her hosts.

She walked with caution from the hut, senses peeled. Her heart raced quietly in the confounds of her small chest. Outside, she glanced around once more. Everyone in the village seemed asleep as well, thankfully. Still…she couldn't risk waking anyone. Despite her mortal hurry, she would have to leave the village with care to avoid any disturbances.

The girl strolled quietly between the houses, her body and senses tensed for trouble. When she was halfway through, she stopped behind a corner of a house and peered out from it.

Everything seemed peaceful. The night dwellers still called from the forest and no one stirred from the huts.

Seth gave a silent sigh.

Out of nowhere, a dog surprised her, barking ferociously, jaws dripping with saliva. Seth let out a small scream and nearly fell backwards, but held her ground. Frustrated, she activated her crusnik for a moment and shot the canine a blood red glare and bared her fangs with a quiet snarl.

The dog immediately slunk off, whimpering in fear, tail between his legs.

Seth gave a triumphant smirk before continuing on her way for a couple steps.

Another sound stopped her cold:

Shouting…

Lights turned on in several houses. Men ran out from them, one or two from each one.

Seth cursed under her breath.

The villagers were certainly light-sleepers, being up and about at the bark of a dog. It was obviously from the stress of having demons lurking so close.

All too quickly, she was spotted. Two men rounded the corner, torches on hand, and saw her.

"There she is! The witch!" one exclaimed.

Seth couldn't believe it. A witch? She saves Inuyasha's tail and they thank her by classifying her as a witch?

Yet, despite having half a dozen villagers surrounding her, she wasn't worried; she could easily outrun them.

"Surrender, witch!"

"Why are you here?"

"I bet she's here to bewitch us and make us here servants!"

Seth's eyebrow twitched at their comments and sighed inwardly, unintentionally making the men jump.

Suddenly, one of the younger males leapt at her, hoe in hand, and attempted to strike her with it. She managed to evade it quick enough, and took the chance to escape. Without so much as a word, she took off towards the woods.

The girl took only one last glance at the settlement. Her gaze fixed on Kaede's hut. Did they know what was going on, that she was gone? Her question was soon answered when Kagome and Sango rushed out of the house in slight confusion, followed by the others, and eventually old Kaede herself.

Only Kagome saw her. The teenager called to her," Seth, wait! Come back!" but Seth ignored her; this was for their own good and her own.

But as she looked away, she didn't notice that the group was now following her…

The forest seemed so different at night…

The trees almost seemed to reach out at her and eyes appeared to watch her as she passed by swiftly. Strange noises were abound, cries and rustling, that made her jump ever so often.

Soon enough she realized she wasn't alone…

Another person was hot on her trail, and not someone that she was too happy to see…

A flash of gold and red caught her eye but she kept running. If she stopped now there would be no escaping him. But even though Seth remained out of his reach, she knew grimly that she was already a little dove caught in his grasp. Still, she kept on, not daring to surrender to him so easily.

But, in the next clearing, she realized that her purser had had enough of this game of cat and mouse, for once she took a step within the clearing the cat pounced…

All too quickly, a surge of power raced towards her and struck true, knocking her clear of her feet, and slamming her back into a tree. The empress let out a pained cry as the force of the blow drove the wind right out of her. She sat there for a minute, whimpering quietly as she tried to will the pain away. At last, she caught her breath and struggled to her feet.

Maybe she could still make it…

Hastily, she sprinted for the other side of the clearing. But a cold voice stopped her in her tracks.

"And where, dear sister, do you think you're going?"

Stealthy footsteps echoed behind her quietly as well as a low chuckle.

Cain…

Seth stood still, unsure of what to do. She feared facing him, and yet she had no plan of giving him the pleasure of seeing that. With a deep, yet silent breath, she slowly spun around, at last facing the eldest of her brothers.

The male crusnik stood several yards away, a wicked smile on his lips. His blonde hair fell neatly past his shoulders, lightly brushing the back of his red and white uniform. His cold blue eyes twinkled with sadistic humor.

She trembled slightly, as that twisted gaze rooted her to her spot. The girl fought to hide her shaking but to no avail.

Here she was, facing the only living being that could ever harm her, and knowing he intended to…

"What do you want?" Seth snapped, growing tired of his arrogantly triumphant stare.

Another chuckle escaped his lips and he shook his head ruefully.

"My, my, what kind of way is that to greet your brother? " He remarked lightly, toying with her and clearly enjoying it. His sarcasm soon disappeared," You know what I want… However, I am willing to spare you, my dear sister,"

Seth relaxed, just a bit. Her fist clenched by her sides. She knew, whatever his offer was, she wouldn't like it. But, still, it wouldn't hurt to hear what he had in mind.

"I'm listening…" she growled quietly.

Cain's smile grew slightly, obviously amused by her answer.

"You can always join the ranks of the Rosen Cruetz,"

The female tensed in disbelief, "WHAT?!" she yelped, gritting her fangs.

A laugh rumbled from the blonde's pale throat.

"You heard me. Why lose your life over some inferior creatures? We are gods compared to them. You, me, Abel" he reasoned," Join me, my sister, and you may have your precious Empire, and more as you rule by my side,"

Seth snorted with disgust," Are you really that desperate, brother? How low you have sunk, trying to tempt me with such drivel," came her acidic reply. The smirk on Cain's face vanished, to Seth's slight satisfaction,"I would never stoop to your level, using your powers to terrorize, and bully another race, instead of protect. And those, 'inferior creatures', you speak so lowly of, have become like my children over the long centuries I have protected and taken them under my wing…My answer is clear: Hell no!"

A silence fell over them.

Then, suddenly, the blonde's smile returned and Seth's disappeared.

"I see…" he muttered quietly, amusement echoing in his voice," You have chosen death…Too bad…I would have really enjoyed your company, baby sister,"

Seth caught her breath as Cain transformed:

His eyes turned from frozen sapphires to burning rubies as fangs formed, slipping past his darkening lips. An unseen force lifted his golden locks slightly and a rustle of feathers was heard as ivory wings unfolded from his back. A clawed hand reached towards her and a menacing ebony lance materialized within his grasp.

"And now, dear Seth…you die…" he whispered, darkly quiet.

In a blur, the other crusnik disappeared. Alarmed, the girl glanced about hastily; desperately trying to locate him before it was too late.

A gold glint caught her eye. Instinctively, she turned to meet it with a powerful wave of her power. Seth's heart leapt with relief as it struck her opponent and knocked him back, only to sink again when Cain recovered his ground all too easily.

"Hmm…not too shabby but I know you can do better," he murmured,' Come, Seth. Come at me with everything you have. Your last battle will be more exciting that way,"

The child empress let out a tiny growl," Very well," she breathed softly, not completely sure 'everything she had' would be enough to save herself.

Relaxing her small body and closing her eyes, she allowed the power of her crusnik form to flood her. Her sight bled red and fangs extended from her once human mouth. Her ebony locks danced about her head as claws lengthened from her slender fingers.

Slowly, she opened her crimson eyes. Cain was smirking with amusement, his body tensed and ready for her first charge. His weapon glinted dangerously in the moon's pale light.

Something rustled behind him briefly, but Seth ignored it. Probably some poor rabbit…

She watched her brother carefully, looking for any window of opportunity. None yet, but his cocky grin was quickly wearing Seth's patience thin.

Finally, she disappeared into the wind, and danced about the clearing, hoping to confuse him. Cain did nothing, yet she could feel his blood red eyes tracking her every move.

It was now or never…

Swiftly, she whipped out one of her daggers and rushed at Cain from behind. The girl's eyes widened as the male slowly turned to meet her, his arrogant smile never faltering.

But it was too late...

A pain shot through her chest. Blood filled her mouth and she was forced to cough it up; some of it trailed down both sides of her lips. Seth's sight blurred for a moment as weakness washed over her in one relentless wave after another. Her legs wobbled unsteadily as she lifted her head to gaze feebly up at the blonde.

His sadistic smirk was even wider then before. His gaze sparkled with blood lust as her red life slowly dripped from her wound. Suddenly exhausted, Seth noticed his hand, which was now suspiciously close to where her pain swelled.

Slowly, she lowered her gaze, now feeling wetness on her hand, the handle of her blade suddenly slick.

A wave of dizziness passed over her, weakening her sight once more. It soon faded and she at last realized what had happened.

Cain had somehow stabbed her with her own dagger…

It was clear, now that she saw it with her own eyes. Her knife was imbedded deep in her chest, the blade no longer visible. Blood slowly dripped from her stained hand and hilt.

Another flood of pain hit her as the blonde cruelly twisted the dagger with agonizing slowness. The girl cried out feebly, sharp hot tears pricked the back of her eyes involuntarily.

"Cain…" she whimpered quietly, her voice hoarse with torture, "Please…"

An amused chuckle rumbled from within him once again," My, my. What's this? The great Empress, pleading for mercy? How amusing," he laughed quietly," But don't worry, I'm not going to kill you just yet. Where's the fun in finishing you off so quickly?"

Seth groaned as she fought to stay conscious. Something was wrong…It shouldn't hurt this much…The crusnik had survived worse stab wounds then this, with little pain.

"Why?" she managed to ask," Why does it hurt so much?"

A new smile graced the male's lips, as his eyes watched her with dark delight.

"Isn't it obvious? But, I guess it isn't in your condition," he mused, eyes closed for a moment. They then reopened," It has to do with_where_ I stabbed you…"

Seth's green eyes widened with sudden realization. She knew where the blade point rested, and now that she thought of it, she felt the dagger with every breath:

The bastard had struck her square in the heart…

Not waiting for her reaction, Cain bent and leaned forward. The female cringed in disgust as his tongue lapped at the blood on her chin. He pulled away with a smug smile, and licked his lips.

"Mmm…not bad…"

The blonde leaned forward once more. Seth clenched her eyes shut; she knew what he was planning…

Just as she feared, she felt the blonde's hot breath stroking her slender neck. She felt him chuckle lowly.

"Mind if I have a taste?" he asked mockingly," I promise it'll be over soon enough,"

The girl swallowed thickly, trying her best to protest with a knife in chest. She strained away as much as she could, only to have her brother pull her back. Almost instantly, he plunged his wicked fangs into her neck.

Agony flooded her, forcing her to drop to one knee, her strength slowly ebbing as Cain drunk greedily. Her vision blurred greatly, only this time; it stayed, growing worse every minute.

Time began to slow, until at last, seeming to vanish altogether. Her crusnik form gave way to her mortal one, her green eyes dark with her approaching death. The girl fell to her knees and lost feeling in her slender limbs.

"Release her!"

A familiar demand rang through the night air. An ivory light raced towards them, obviously aimed at her brother. Relief numbly tickled her as she realized that the blonde was too busy to notice.

His scream pained her delicate ears as it struck him full in the back. His fangs released their hold on her as he arched his body from the blow. A snarl escaped him as he looked back to see who attacked him.

Through her darkening sight, she faintly recognized her rescuer.

"Ka-gome…" she murmured weakly.

The teenager stood just a few yards away. Already, she had another arrow at the ready, her expression one of rage. Her ebony locks danced ominously in the breeze.

But Cain wasn't happy. In fact, he was outraged. The blonde trembled with anger, even as he threw Seth carelessly to one side.

Seth could only let out a small grunt as she hit the ground roughly. There she stayed, too exhausted even to lift her head; her blood pooled beneath her as her wound continued to bleed, the knife still in intact.

She longed to call to Kagome, to tell her to run before it was too late, but as well as voice was working at the moment, she might as well be mute. A human like her wouldn't last half a minute against a crusnik, especially one as ruthless and cutthroat as Cain.

"How dare you interrupt my fun, human!" she heard her brother growl.

Another arrow answered him; it missed him but plunged powerfully into the dirt by his foot. Even though she lay helpless and wounded, she could feel Cain's slight panic and frustration.

"The next one won't miss," the human coldly warned, pulling the bowstring back threateningly,

Hmm…perhaps Seth had underestimated the young woman. She could only imagine what Inuyasha was like in the heat of combat.

After a few seconds of uneasy silence, a laugh shattered the quiet. Cain was laughing quietly.

"How cute…A little terran girl thinks she can harm me," he remarked, his dark smile returning.

Not long after, Inuyasha appeared behind Kagome," She might not beable to, but I might." The red-clad leader rested his great sword on his shoulder for all to see.

The crusnik heard the male hiss silently in defeat. She knew that, as strong as he was, he rarely fought a risky battle.

Seth let out a quiet groan as her eyelids dropped heavily, but managed to reopen them. Even though her eyes had been closed for several mere seconds, her brother had already disappeared from her sight, but it wasn't long before someone else breached her view.

"Seth!" Kagome called, running to her before kneeling next to her. A gentle hand rested on her small shoulder. Inuyasha tagged behind her," Are you all right? Please, answer me,"

Another moan escaped her as she glanced up at the teenager weakly. Even as Kagome stared down at her, panic in her chocolate brown eyes, Seth was keen of her vanishing strength. The crusnik knew there was a good chance that she wasn't going to make it; her wounds were just too deep and the medicine in this time period was next to primitive, and with her life slowly leaving her torn body, she doubted that there was much hope for her.

At last, she gave a final, deep sigh, tearing her gaze from the teenager's, and closing her eyes before falling into the embrace of the darkness…

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**A.N****: Sorry about the confusion. R&R**


	4. Fading Hope

**A.N:**** Sorry about the delay in updating. I do have three other stories to work on. I do try to balance them though. You can thank Infinite Freedom, who asked me to update. This chapter's a little shorter and I apologize.**

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Fading Hope

"Kagome! Inuyasha!"

The pair turned at their names to see their friends making their way up the path. Inuyasha gave them an assuring look before dropping his gaze to Kagome.

The priestess held the wounded girl close, as she lay unconscious, tears rolling down her fair cheeks silently. The dog-demon had to admit he was just as upset, especially now that he learned that Seth was no ordinary girl; she could've been useful.

He could tell that there was little chance that she would be able to be saved. Already, the girl's breathing was labored; he almost expected every breath to be her last. Blood pooled on the ground around her and stained Kagome's clean white shirt.

Inuyasha looked up as the others finally reached them; it didn't seem like they noticed Seth yet.

"Why'd you two run off?" Sango questioned, holding her boomerang against her shoulder.

Then, at once, they spotted the dying girl on the ground. Sango's hand flew to her mouth with shock. Not surprising since the others still thought she was just a young child.

"What happened to her?" Shippo whimpered up on Miroku's shoulder, trembling slightly," Was she attacked?"

The red-clad leader spared Kagome a glance, his bangs hiding his eyes, Yeah…but not by a demon,"

Miroku seemed interested by that," What was it?"

Inuyasha looked back up at them," We don't know, but, Unfortunately, he tore up poor Seth pretty bad. I…don't know if she'll be all right. She'll actually be lucky to see morning, in my opinion,"

Suddenly, Kagome stirred," She will. We'll make sure of that," she informed, determined and a bit angry. She glanced up at them," And, then, when she's back on her feet, we'll find on who that was that attacked her, and what exactly's going on around here,"

Without another word, she stood, cradling the smaller girl carefully, before strolling past them, towards the village. Following her lead, the others followed…

* * *

Warmth heated her body. Voices whispered about her. Someone touched her gently, probing her injuries. 

Weakly, she opened her eyes…

"Finally awake?" a familiar voice greeted her.

Kagome's smiling face came into view, as well as the inside of Kaede's hut; firelight lit the room.

Confusion assaulted her: Wasn't she…?

Alarmed, she tried to sit up only to be flooded by agony. Kagome caught her arm gently.

"Don't try to sit up. You'll open your wounds," she warned softly, urging her to lay back down, which she did painfully," Try to relax…. Umm…" the young woman glanced around before a small smile returned to her face," Do you want to try eating something? It might help,"

Kagome sat back up, a small bowl of food on hand. It smelt delicious and she was kinda hungry. Yet, Seth doubted she would be able to eat it. Weakness still haunted her healing body and she knew she needed to rest.

She shook her head lightly," No, I don't really feel like eating," she murmured with a small, assuring smile.

The other girl's hopeful smile faded.

"Is there any other way we might be able to help?" Kagome pushed anxiously.

The Crusnik hesitated, wondering how her new allies would react to her if they found out what she really was. A small glimmer of hope shined; maybe they wouldn't be as shocked as the others who had found out about her and her brothers' little secret. However, past experience made her mentally scoff at that possibility. She decided not to risk it, yet.

When Seth didn't answer Kagome took her answer as a 'no', not knowing that all her patient needed to recover fully and quickly was Methuselah blood, not that she knew what one was anyway.

"Well…just get some rest. I'll try to see if there's anything else that can be used to help…" Kagome informed, standing.

Seth nodded a bit feebly; she was suddenly feeling a little weaker, but said nothing of it, "Thanks…" was all she could say.

The teenager nodded back almost cheerfully, perhaps thinking she had gained a new friend, and left. Once she was gone, Seth could truly think things out.

Was she really recovering? She had a sickening feeling that she was only going to get worse again. Crusniks, much like Methuselahs, couldn't heal from major injuries without blood, but Seth doubted she would be able to get any bed ridden. And she didn't think she could bear to tell the others what she needed. Besides, how well did she actually know them? They had just met that morning…

The girl's eyes grew heavier. When did she become so tired? She was wide-awake a moment ago. Now she was fighting just to stay conscious. Maybe she was right, maybe she couldn't recover without the blood. Maybe Seth's health was truly declining the way it came, and would only continue to get worse.

Darkness took her once more, leaving her fate in the hands of the group of near strangers just outside the hut…

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**A.N:**** Seth's far from out of the woods. Will Inuyasha and the others find a way to bring her back to health? Only the next chapter will tell…**

**R&R plz.****  
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	5. Vampires and Royalty

**A.N:**** A little note about this chapter. In my stories, I have that Seth is marked and proven as the empress by a mark on her right arm that she generally keeps hidden, unless she needs it visible. Just so you know beforehand. Amber and Ion have one too, to mark them as the Empire's royalty. **

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**Vampires and Royalty **

"Seth, please, wake up!"

Inuyasha practically jumped at Kagome's sudden call. He stood and ran to see what was wrong. The door of the hut slid open and an alarmed Sango, Miroku, and Shippo hurried in.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha questioned the anxious teen.

Kagome looked up at him, tears beginning to make themselves known, "Seth's getting worse…I spoke to her a few minutes ago, and she seemed fine. I thought she was going to recover," She explained, sniffling slightly, "But now…now she won't wake up. She doesn't even stir when I call her. I…I think we're losing her…"

Dread passed over them. Although they barely knew her, they felt a connection to this girl. They felt that there was more to her then met the eye.

Sango and Miroku knelt next to Kagome. The monk felt Seth's pulse and checked her injuries; his face grew grimier with each passing moment.

"Kagome's right. If we don't do something, she'll be dead by morning," Miroku turned to Sango, " Do you think you can do anything? Maybe your knowledge of demons might help, even though she looks human enough, since she doesn't seem normal,"

But the demon slayer shook her head, "No, I'm sorry but I don't think demon medicine will help her. I can tell she's still human, but I not exactly sure what makes her so different. Do you suppose she's from the Continent?"

Miroku nodded, "Probably. But what else can we do?"

A tiny yet familiar voice spoke up, "Maybe I can help…"

Myoga hoped across the wooden floor and landed on Seth's cheek. The others watched, hoping he would be able to wake her. But, even after half a dozen gulps of her blood, the old demon barely received a stir. Yet, his efforts weren't in complete vain. The flea jumped onto the girl's small shoulder; he seemed to have made a discovery. Curious, Shippo perched onto Kagome's shoulder.

"What is it, Myoga?" He asked.

The old demon looked over at the others, "As you said before, Sango, she's not a normal human, and her blood proves it. The girl has the blood of a Crusnik, a vampiric race of man,"

"A vampire? Seth's a vampire?" Inuyasha questioned in near disbelief, "Are you certain? I mean, she's been out in broad daylight,"

Sango and Kagome threw each other intrigued looks, "Inuyasha's right, and I don't think she has any fangs," The demon slayer added.

Still, Myoga wasn't faze but only seemed to grow all the more amused, "Ahh…cause Crusniks aren't normal vampires. They hunt vampires for one. They also appear human whenever they please, can easily be in sunlight, share the same diet as humans, and, luckily, they've been known to be very docile around them," The flea listed, "They are also nearly invincible, except towards each other, and have remarkable abilities, including healing. But they need vampire blood to heal completely from a major injury or wound. So, I suspect our little lady here is feeling a bit parched…"

The others blinked, "Wow, Myoga. Guess you've really been around," Kagome mused, but then she saw a problem, "But where are we going to get vampire blood?"

Everyone went silent, even Myoga. Fortunately, a light bulb soon seemed to go off above his tiny head. The others glanced at him curiously.

"Oh, I saw some on the way here. They seemed to have came with another Crusnik," He recalled.

Kagome and Inuyasha nearly started at that, "That other one is her brother. He's the one that wounded her," The priestess informed, with a slice of anger at the memory.

But Inuyasha was more interested in the fact that there was indeed vampires nearby. He stood without a word and strolled towards the door. Kagome stood up after him.

"Where are you going? You're not going after them alone, are you?"

The half demon secured his sword in his belt and grabbed a water flask, for the blood, "You can come if you want, but I'm not going to wait. She needs the blood as soon as possible,"

Kagome nodded and went to follow him. Sango stood as well, boomerang on hand, and trailed after. Before the demon slayer, she looked back at Miroku.

"Look after her, alright, Miroku?"

The monk gave her a warm, assuring smile and waved her off. Sango returned the smile and ran out the door after Inuyasha and Kagome…

* * *

"Master Cain's getting hungry. I'm worried. Who do you think he'll choose?"

"I don't know. But it'll be one of us if we don't be careful…"

The trio peered around the tree that they hid behind. Two men, who they believed to be vampires, walked past them unsuspectingly, just chatting away. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sango were still very uncertain; they didn't even know if these guys were what they thought they were.

At least until one opened his mouth wide enough during the conversation. Two pearly white fangs gleamed in the fading moonlight, a sure sign that the males were what they were after. But, how were they supposed to catch them anyway? They would have to knock both out so one wouldn't run off screaming and alert the rest.

Inuyasha motioned to the two women to let him handle this. They nodded and settled down to become hidden. The half demon tensed and leapt out from hiding, before socking both startled targets hard in the face. They slumped almost unintelligently onto the ground, both with a good-sized bruise on their cheeks.

Kagome and Sango stood from their hiding place and ran over to join Inuyasha, who stood over the vampires curiously.

"They sure didn't put up much of a fight. Not much for vampires, are they?" The boy mused.

Myoga made himself known on his shoulder, "I should have mentioned before, that the vampires that Crusniks hunt are humans themselves, but have developed the features of vampires," He informed, "Now…get some of their blood and let's get back. Seth won't be able to last much longer without it,"

The half demon nodded, "Right…"

He looked over at the girls and noticed that Sango was handing him her sword, "Here…"She offered, "Use mine. It'll work better for this…"

Once again, Inuyasha nodded and took it. He took out the flask and knelt by the unconscious men. Carefully, he made a cut in one of their throats, a small one so that it wouldn't be lethal, and patiently allowed the blood to fill the container. Once it was full enough, Inuyasha stood up and allowed Kagome, who had looked away the whole time, to bandage up the cut. He handed Sango's sword back to her as he headed back to the village. Shortly after, the girls were walking back as well, feeling a little awkward about the two they were leaving behind.

* * *

"What are you looking at?"

Inuyasha walked over to the monk and tried to see what had him so interested. Miroku pointed to where he had pulled up the girl's sleeve. It was a strange tattoo, like a special seal of some kind. Both stared at it with interest, trying to think of what it could mean. Stumped, they called Myoga over.

"Hey, Myoga. Have you seen this mark before?" Inuyasha asked as the flea hoped over.

The demon jumped up on Seth's arm to get a better look. He studied it for a minute and seemed to recognize it.

"Hmm…this seems to be a royal seal," He mused, "It appears that this little lady here is an empress. All the more reason to make sure she survives…"

The others almost could believe it. This little girl was full of surprises. Myoga's voice pulled them back from their wondering.

"Where's the blood? It's important she gets it soon…"

Kagome and Sango sat down by Miroku as the half demon brought out the flask and settled down as well. He grabbed a saucer and poured the liquid into it, until it looked like a lake of red; the firelight lit the pool with moving orange shadows. Inuyasha looked to the flea demon to double check.

Myoga nodded, "Just put it to her lips and she'll drink it…" He assured.

The silver-haired boy did so; he gently placed the lip of the cup to the girl's slightly parted lips and tilted it carefully. The crimson pool drained slowly into her mouth and, to everyone's relief, her throat moved lightly as she swallowed the vital liquid silently. Before long, the saucer was empty, only a few red drops remaining. Inuyasha placed it down and studied Seth's face, waiting. He didn't know what to expect:

Would she heal slowly or just jump to life?

Nothing seemed to happen. Worried and a little disappointed, the half demon lifted his head to confront the flea.

"Yo, Myoga. I thought you said this was supposed to work," He growled, growing suspicious, "Why doesn't she seem to be getting better?"

Once again, the tiny demon didn't seemed concerned, "Don't worry. As far along as she was, it might take a while for her own blood to absorb the vampires and heal her completely,"

Kaeda walked in then, having been busy calming the villagers from the previous spook of Seth's escape. The woman took in the room quickly and looked down at their patient.

"Well…how is she? Will the girl recover?" She asked, sitting down next to Sango.

The demon slayer regarded her, "She should. Myoga says it'll take a while for the blood's efforts to be seen physically,"

Kaeda nodded briefly, "Then we better get some sleep before morning and hope she's still alive when we wake up,"

At her words, everyone seemed to just realize how tired they really were. Yawns echoed throughout the room quietly and Sango and Miroku rose to find their beds. But Inuyasha and Kagome remained, still worried about their guest.

"Do you really think she'll survive the night?" Kagome questioned softly.

"I don't know. But there's nothing more that can be done for her," Inuyasha advised gently. He notice the grimness of the girl's gaze as she stared down at the resting Seth, "Don't worry. She'll be fine. She just needs sleep, like we do,"

The teen looked up, surprised at first, and smiled. The half demon helped her to her feet and they went to find their own bunks. Kagome couldn't help but cast one last glance at her patient. Her hope grew slightly as she noticed the color returning to the other girl's once paling cheeks. Maybe she really was going to be okay. The teenager could barely keep a joyous smile from her face even as the lights blew out and she was warm under her covers. Soon, the hut was completely silent except for the sighs of sleep.

Alone in the center, Seth breathed easier. And in the dark, her fingers twitched briefly, signaling her returning life and strength…

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**A.N:**** Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know this wasn't my best but I have been feeling a little off on my stories for the past couple of days. R&R**


	6. Two of a Kind

**Two of a Kind**

The sound of a flute playing quietly scratched the silence of the morning.

Kagome's eyes fluttered open. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, waking up. The teen then sat up, trying to register and locate what she was hearing so early in the day. Kagome looked around; everyone else was asleep, but not Seth, who was missing. Panic threatened to surge up until she guessed that she was the one playing the flute.

Curious, the priestess stood and moved to look outside. The new light stung her eyes as she tried to search for the flute player. The village was mostly still and silent, except for the obvious music and the now audible laughter of young children.

Under a tree that grew close to the village, dwelled who and what she was looking for. Kagome wandered closer to get a better look.

Seth sat at the foot of the tree, blanketed by its sun dotted shade. An elegant flute was held to her lips and brought the lovely music that floated on the breeze. The teenager was surprised; despite the fact that the girl had been at death's door just the night before, she now looked better then ever. Damn…that stuff really worked…

Around the unusual girl, several children played, obviously enjoying her flute. Despite this strangeness, Seth appeared to mean them no harm; she seemed to be playing just for their enjoyment and her own.

Worries aside, Kagome held her hands behind her back, "Good morning, Seth. I'm glad you're healed," She greeted.

The girl's eyes opened at once; she must've not realized she had a guest. Surprise, and even a hint of fear, jumped across her features but faded quickly. Seth smiled at her shyly after placing her instrument in her lap. The children, sensing an adult conversation, left.

"Oh…good morning to you too, Kagome,"

There was an uncomfortable silence. Kagome was choosing her words carefully in her mind. She now knew that Seth was no helpless child or ordinary girl. Inuyasha and the others may have not seen Seth's hidden power, but she had and it kinda worried her; the small girl was full of surprises and could be a troublesome, if not dangerous, foe if wronged.

At last, the teen took a deep breath and let it out quietly. She then fixed her gaze on Seth firmly. The girl looked back up at her.

"Why didn't you tell us?" She asked, trying to keep her tone even and calm. She could tell the girl instantly knew what she was talking about.

Seth looked a bit ashamed, "There are not many of my kind. In fact, the only ones besides me are my two older brothers," She explained a little sadly, "Secrecy has always been a part of our lives. We've rarely ever told anyone what we are or about our race,"

Kagome softened up a bit, beginning to understand. The teen had seen and heard many strange things while in the feudal era, so she was open-minded and understood Seth's position almost completely:

The girl had been afraid to tell them. She was already in a strange land and making enemies was the last thing she wanted; She and Seth knew that hatred was easily sparked by even the slightest fear or misunderstanding of a person, so she had kept her power to herself.

Kagome tried to show her sympathy and understanding, "I think I understand…" She smiled. Another secret Seth had kept from them came to mind and she addressed it, "Oh, and you never told us you were royalty, little empress…"

Now, this time, her discovery took Seth by utter surprise. Her head flung up to stare up at her, mouth agape.

"How-? How do you know that?" She stammered numbly.

Kagome offered her a warm smile, trying to dispel the girl's shock, "Mirkou found the mark on your arm. Myoga, an old demon friend of ours, knew what it meant," She explained.

Like she had wanted, Seth relaxed and a small smile graced her lips, "So the strange creatures really are demons…" She mused, " Man, am I far from home…"

The priestess still had so many questions, "Home? Where are you from?"

The smaller girl looked off, staring up at the blue, clear sky, "It seems I can't hide anything from you anymore," She sighed, "I know it may seem crazy but I think I'm from the future. I don't belong here. I'm from the year 3088,"

Kagome's smile remained, at least until the last sentence. She was from the future too, but if Seth was telling the truth, that would mean she had lived over a thousand years after the teen's own time period and over two thousand years after the Feudal Era.

"You're not the only one. I'm from the 21st century. I fell into my family's shrine well and woke up here," Kagome explained, " Although I've figured out how to travel back and forth; through the Bone Eater's well. But I've never heard of anyone else here from the future…"

Despite the unlikeness of Kagome's statement, Seth seemed to believe her, "I woke up here as well. Except my brother, Cain, whom you saw last night, was the one who kidnapped and brought me here; obviously to get me out of his way. I don't know how he did it though," She informed, before seeming to realize the chance solution Kagome had mentioned, "The Bone Eater's well? Do you think it'll work for me? I desperately need to get back. I have an Empire and a family that is in great danger without me,"

The teen nodded, "I understand. It's worth a shot…"

Just then, Inuyasha and the others filed out of the hut, obviously looking for her and Seth. It took them a minute to spot them, their minds still hindered by sleep. Finally, they blinked through the glare of the ascending sun and noticed them by the tree.

Inuyasha hurried over while Sango, Mirkou, Shippo, and little Kirara decided to take it slow. The half demon seemed just as excited as Kagome had been about Seth's amazing recovery.

"Good morning, Seth, Kagome," He greeted, his golden eyes mostly on Seth, "So the vampire blood worked?"

For some reason, the girl flinched, "Please, don't them that. They are not undead," Seth corrected, "Their proper name is Methuselah. They are merely humans, whom because of a virus, developed, err… 'vampiric' features…"

Inuyasha only stared at her almost cluelessly, though Kagome seemed to understand it well enough. By now, the others had caught up and Sango gave a similar greeting.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm happy you've pulled through, Seth…"

The girl smiled warmly, "Thank you, although you are the third person to say something like that. I still thank you all, though, for your concern," She informed the demon slayer, "Kagome was going to take me to Bone Eater's well,"

Her last sentence made surprise ripple across the faces of their guests. All of their eyes drifted to the priestess.

"Why are you doing that? Is she curious?" Inuyasha questioned.

Kagome shook her head firmly, "No. As it turns out she's like me. She doesn't belong here either," She explained, "She can't stay here. We're going to see if I can send her back the same way I go back,"

The others went silent at that, thinking. Meanwhile, Seth stood and walked over to wait by Kagome, flute in hand.

Mirkou spoke first, "Why exactly can't you stay here?"

"I have a family and an empire. My empire sits always on the brink of war with another. There are always groups seeking to push it over the edge, and I'm one of the only people that keep them from succeeding,"

Her hosts' faces became of grim as hers as they realized what position she was in. They listened carefully as she continued.

"And with me gone, my eighteen year old daughter, Amber, will have to take the throne until, if ever, I return. In my race's terms, she is much too young for such a task. My enemies, the enemies of my Empire, will surely take advantage of her inexperience,"

Mirkou nodded affirmatively, " I see. Then we need to get you back as soon as possible,"

Inuyasha had his arms crossed, but uncrossed them and knelt to be at the girl's level, "There's something I don't get," He muttered suspiciously with narrowed eyes.

Seth gulped, "Yes?"

He poked a clawed finger at her forehead, "How the hell does someone so short like you become an empress in the first place? How old are you, anyway?"

The Crusnik didn't seem to take his question well; angry bubbled to the surface of her features, but to the others' relief, it didn't rise any further, "I didn't chose to be vertically challenged, and I assure you I'm older then I look. In fact, you wouldn't believe me if I told you my age," She smirked at him, arms crossed.

The dog hanyou straightened and took her answer as a bit of a challenge; he loomed over her, arms crossed as well, "Well then…how old are you?"

Kagome saw that Seth took great care to look him in the eye, to prove that she wasn't lying, "I'm 990 years old…" She told him flatly, "My race's aging rate is still unknown but I stopped when I was ten, hence my child-like appearance,"

This time, everyone looked at her in utter shock. She wasn't fazed or surprised. She just smiled to herself. Seth's smile soon disappeared though.

"Now, if you don't mind…Can we please check if the well is my way home?"

Disbelief still hung about them; Kagome nodded and went to lead. The others followed behind her and Seth as they wandered into the forest. They walked in silence for several minutes. At least until Shippo spoke up.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier, Seth?" He asked curiously.

The girl didn't look back at him, "I wasn't sure if I could trust you,"

The fox boy looked a little uneasy, "But you trust us now, right?"

"Not completely, but enough…" She answered, relieved that the others didn't take it as an offense.

Another minute of quiet passed. Kagome was busy trying to find the way to the well. Mirkou, Sango, and Inuyasha were deep in thought, pondering about this odd girl. Finally, Sango spoke her thoughts.

"What if the well doesn't take you home, if it doesn't work for you in the first place?" She questioned thoughtfully.

Seth didn't answer at first. Kagome could see a small wave of fear ripple across her face; she could tell she didn't want to think about that.

"I don't know…" Seth murmured, "I guess I'll stay with you guys, if you don't mind, since you're traveling. Maybe you can help me find another way,"

Kagome looked back at her kindly, "Of course…but only if its okay with Inuyasha…" She muttered, looking past Seth to the red-clad hanyou.

Inuyasha shrugged, "Might as well. We can't just leave her alone here…"He answered, "She has a country and a family who need her there to protect them. Besides…she's practically one of us now…right?"

Inuyasha looked up to see everyone nod happily; they didn't mind this girl, or her strangeness, and would stick with her. As long as everyone else was alright with it, as a leader seeking the okay from his companions, he would Seth come along and even help her find her way back to her home.

Everyone was smiling, but Seth's soon faded and darkness came to her eyes as she looked away. Inuyasha noticed this right away; he looked down at her, concerned.

"What is it?"

But the Crusnik just shook her head ruefully, "Its nothing," She muttered before smiling up at them, "Really…"

They knew she wasn't telling them but they allowed the subject to drop. Everyone looked forward as the well came into view. Kagome strolled ahead in order to give Seth an introduction.

"Here we are. The Bone Eater's well…"She announced, trying to lighten the mood.

Seth quickened her pace as well to meet the teen by the aging well; she peered in curiously, "So…this is it? There's a chance this might be my way home?"

The others gathered at her back. All of them were anxious to see if this would work, wanting her to be reunited with her family and empire, but at the same time not wanting to see their new ally leave so soon. Kagome hovered at the side of the well.

"Well, jump down and see what happens…"She urged, "Good luck…"

Seth swallowed and took a deep breath before jumping over the edge of the wooden well and disappearing into the dank darkness. Inuyasha and the others looked down intently, trying to peer through the blackness, seeing almost nothing.

"Seth? You still here?" Inuyasha called, wanting to hear nothing and something at the same time.

A sneeze answered him, "Its dusty down here. And what's with these strange bones? Wait, on the second thought, I don't want to know…" Seth's voice echoed from the hole in the ground.

Disappointment rippled through the group. Kagome moaned and leaned forward to lean on the side of the well, "It didn't work…"

Inuyasha called down, "Do you need help climbing back up?"

"No. I can get back up fine on my own…"

Her answer puzzled, as usual. At least until the girl leapt up onto the edge with surprising ease. They stared at her, trying to handle another twist.

"What?"

Sango, Kagome, Shippo, and even Mirkou just stared while Inuyasha crossed his arms and smiled.

"Seems like she won't be such a burden afterall…"

Despite the hanyou's optimism, Seth only looked back down the well, despair threatening to overwhelm her. How was she going to get back now?

* * *

**A.N:**** Just so you know where I got the year from: I added ten years to when the AX was established (3055 A.D), to get the series' present year, then added five, for how many years passed before Seth had Amber, and then added Amber's 18 years 3088. Or as Crusnik o2 puts it: The year Abel turns 1000 (Wikipedia states that he was born 2088)…R&R**


	7. Meet the Neighbors

**Meet the Neighbors**

"Is there anything you need to warn me about before we leave?"

Seth watched the group as they readied themselves for the coming trip across the demon infested countryside. She herself was already packed and anxious; she had no idea what she would encounter in this strange land.

Kagome straightened, her heavy backpack and sturdy bow secure on her back. She smiled at her warmly, seemingly unconcerned.

"Not really…Naraku and his incarnations are the only dangerous threats now a days. But there are two more that may pose a problem," She explained," There's Koga, the leader of the wolf demon tribe, although he's mostly on our side, mainly because he insists he's in love with me. Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older half-brother, might be more trouble, though the so-called 'trouble' is often just brotherly feuds. Yet, they're not as bad as they were,"

The mention of Naraku only made Seth uneasier. Cain's own mention of him was faint yet clear in her mind. She remembered the event itself but not what was said. She would have to beware of this Naraku and his incarnations. The ruler had a feeling he would only hinder them, and worse.

Inuyasha noticed the troubled expression on Seth's face. He was a bit worried but mostly curious; this new member of their group, however short her stay with them was to be, intrigued him. He wondered what other surprises she would bring.

"What is it? Is something bothering you?"

Seth jumped from her deep thoughts and gazed up at him with surprised green orbs, "Oh…no; well…yes…" She denied at first but then admitted, " Its just…this Naraku worries me. Who is he exactly?"

A grim, dark air instantly seemed to still and silence the group. Seth caught her breath, fearing she had said something she shouldn't have.

"I'm sorry…was there something wrong with what I said?" She instinctively apologized.

The mood lightened and the dark cloud of memory lifted from the group slightly and briefly. The five exchanged glances while the newbie waited to be either scolded or assured that no harm had been done.

Luckily, it was the latter. The group decided who should describe their mortal enemy to the new girl. Mirkou would be the one, being a monk who was wise and mostly mature, aside from womanizing habits, from which they hoped Seth would never witness or become the target of.

"Naraku is a shape-shifting half demon. He has wronged every one of us and has gotten away with it," He explained grimly, " We're are nowhere close to be the only ones he's hindered, yet he caused us much suffering. He's cursed my family, destroyed Sango's village and is holding her younger brother, Kohaku, prisoner, and had Inuyasha sealed to a tree for fifty years. And that's still not even close to half of what he's done,"

Seth's gaze became as grave as the others', "I see…We better hope we don't encounter him then…"

Kagome nodded weakly, her brown eyes dark with dread, " Yeah…I mean, we wouldn't want you to get dragged into our war with him, especially since it seems you have your own at home. There's no telling what he'd do if he found out about you…"

The ruler's eyes caught a glimpse of color, but when she looked, there was nothing there, "I think he already knows…"

Having been listening, the strange woman, that had barely missed being discovered, with piercing red eyes stealthily wandered away from the group she had been ordered to spy on. She, once far enough from them, pulled a delicate feather from her dark hair and threw it to the wind. In mere seconds, she was sailing it on the breeze, towards her master.

She found out about what he had wanted, and what he desired would be his soon enough…

* * *

"Oh! It's so beautiful out here!" 

The group smiled to themselves at their guest's delight. Seth was gazing around in awe at the virtually untouched landscape, her jade eyes alight with wonder; at least she was beginning to enjoy her visit. They were glad that she, even if it would be for a short time, was forgetting her worries about being trapped there.

It had been a peaceful journey so far. Several hours had passed since they had left the village and nothing had yet gone awry. Those in Inuyasha's group could only hope it remained that way.

Yet, just as they feared, they had company…

Inuyasha stiffened and his nose twitched, "Great…here comes the mangy wolf…"

All turned towards where their leader was facing. As if on cue, a great, whirling cyclone appeared to dance over the green plain.

Seth, not knowing what the hell was going on, gave a cry of panic and ducked behind Kagome, who looked back at her in surprise before returning her attention to their windy guest.

"Good afternoon, Koga," She greeted calmly.

"Koga?" Seth murmured from behind her hiding spot, beginning to peer out.

At once, the whirlwind dispersed and the wolf demon stood before them, tall and black-haired, one hand on his hip in his usual cockiness. His blue eyes fell on the priestess immediately, and his hands suddenly found hers.

"Why, good afternoon, Kagome. Lovely today, isn't it?" He replied, "Is mutt-face keeping his hands off you or do I have to teach him a lesson?"

"What was that!" Inuyasha snarled.

A small sound caught Koga's attention and he glanced down curiously. Jade eyes gazed up at him, seemingly as curious as he was. They belonged to a little dark-haired girl, appearing around ten years old. She hid behind Kagome almost meekly, but held her own confidence. Koga was very surprised; he had never seen this child before.

"Well, who's this little runt?" He questioned, finally looking over at the half-demon and the others.

There was a short pause, but it was a surprise to him who answered.

"It's Seth, Seth Nightlord. I'm going to be traveling with them temporarily,"

Koga blinked down at the girl, who had been previously hiding from him. Now, she gazed at him right in the eye with almost no fear; all she was of him now was wary.

"Hey, weren't you scared of me a minute ago?" He asked suspiciously.

By now, Seth stood apart from the priestess, hands behind her back, "Not quite…I just didn't know what you were. You see… I'm not from around here so I didn't know what to expect. But now that I know…"

This girl was becoming more intriguing by the moment; she certainly wasn't your everyday human, if she even was one in the first place. Yet, even though she did smell like a mortal, there was something strange about her, something almost…demonic…

"Ah! I see. You're no average human, are you? How old are you?" Koga wondered, growing excited.

"You wouldn't believe me if…"

"990 years old…"Inuyasha answered, more straight forward then Seth would have ever been, "And she's also a strange type of vampire that can walk during the day, a crusnik, and the empress of an empire on the continent…"

Everyone stared at the red-clad teen with wide eyes. Meanwhile, he gazed back, unfazed with arms crossed.

"What? There's no sense in keeping it a secret. He's not going to do anything with her," Inuyasha reasoned in a low, aggravated growl before addressing his group solely, "Besides, she's not going to be here long anyway. We're going to track down a way home for her so she can return to her kingdom and family,"

Seth smiled to herself at the hanyou's sheer determination and will, glad it was he she met. He and his group's fearlessness and generosity were certainly something she liked and knew would aid their mission greatly.

"Daammnn…"Koga drawled, looking down at Seth with disbelief, "It's always the midgets…isn't it?"

The Crusnik obviously wasn't a fan of his comment. She gave him a warning look that seemed beyond the ability of someone looking as young as she.

"Scram, wolf…" Easily heard in her voice was a dark, cold snarl, one that made Koga's tail droop.

A strange whimper-like sound escaped the demon, as if she was suddenly a living nightmare, and he went to leave obediently, "Alright, alright. I'm going. I was just stopping by anyway to say hi to my Kagome "He then looked over to Inuyasha, "Be careful with this 'new girl' of yours. I sense she's not as harmless as she appears. She might even catch Naraku's attention if you're not careful,"

Seth's blood ran icy hearing that name again. She remembered the flash of color back at the village, the feeling of spying eyes, and her somber hunch that was already hunting her…

* * *

"So, her Majesty is still alive? How fortunate…" 

"I saw her myself. The empress is alive and well. However, she is escorted by Inuyasha and the others,"

"I can take care of them if you wish, Naraku…"

"No, I will do so else how. Besides, you've brought her here. You've done your part of the deal; allow me to do mine…"

"Yes, of course…My sister now belongs to you…"

* * *

"Are you serious?" 

Seth looked from face to smiling face. The whole of the group was beaming at her warmly. They stood before a merchant's stall, clothes hanging within of many colors and styles.

"Of course…you'll stick out like a sore thumb around here in those clothes. We're going to purchase a more local outfit for you," Sango explained, "Now, go on. Pick something out. Think of this as a welcoming gift,"

With the article soon bought, Seth dressed shyly, hidden only by the local foliage; she definitely wasn't used to this. Yet, it was worth it. She was pleased with how she looked in their traditional dress.

"Oh, Seth! You look precious!"

The girl blushed faintly at Kagome's compliment as she showed off her new clothes. A loose emerald yukata hugged her small body and flowed slightly at her ankles. Delicate butterflies seemed to dance across the soft fabric as she moved carefully, cautious of the strange sandals that her feet now rested in.

"Thanks…but they're a little uncomfortable," Seth murmured, trying not to sound ungrateful.

"You'll get used to it…" Inuyasha replied, very sure yet not knowing the hidden meaning Seth took from his words.

"I sure hope not…"

* * *

What was she going to do? How was she going to get home? How the Empire faring without her guidance? 

God, she was homesick. Her heart longed for her family and for her people. She prayed desperately that fate was with her, that she would somehow find her way back. She didn't belong here…

"Seth? Where'd you go?"

The girl looked back to see Kagome, who had wandered away from the warm fire and her friends to find her.

Seth's legs hung over the cliff belonging to a crisp waterfall that overlooked its pool and a surrounding forest, and her hands were collected in her lap. She still felt silly in her new clothes and had to resist the present urge just to kick off her odd shoes, let them drop into the water below, and just go around bare foot like Inuyasha.

"Over here…" She called and was quickly discovered.

The priestess came over and settled down next to her, "What are you doing over here by yourself? Is there something bothering you?"

The Crusnik sighed but shook her head, "No, not quite. Just homesick is all…" She replied sadly, her eyes dark with depression as they fixed on the moving waters next to her, "I wonder what Ion is doing right now…"

"Ion?"

"My husband…blond haired, scarlet eyed, and just a bit taller then I am," Seth described, sinking deeper into sorrow as she remembered that she was without her lover, and that he was probably worried sick, " He's very handsome, beautiful almost; nobility. He's actually been mistaken for girl every now and then, which aggravates him greatly,"

Kagome giggled, "I can imagine…" Yet, she fell quiet when Seth became grim and silent, her green eyes always dark, "You must miss him; I'm sure he must miss you as well, immensely,"

The ruler nodded wordlessly and her guest took that as her cue to take her leave, "It's getting late. I have to return to the others; Inuyasha's going to start picking on Shippo soon if I don't baby-sit him…" She smiled warmly and stood, "Don't forget to come into camp when you're tired. You _are_ one of us now; you don't have to keep such distance,"

After that, Seth was left to herself and her depression. The empress didn't remember feeling this lonely before. She knew she had allies, yet the didn't change the fact that she was an outsider…

"Seth…"

A strangely familiar voice floated on the breeze, practically making her heart stop in disbelief. A form detached itself from the shadows and stood illuminated in the moonlight.

"At last I've found you! Everyone's been so worried!"

Seth felt faint. Her heart and mind had to be pranking her, such cruel things to sorrowed souls. Before her was someone who she held most dear. His blond hair glistened like the sun under the sun of the night and his ruby eyes gleamed strangely. It was almost as if he had been summoned by some magic…

"Ion…"

As much as she couldn't believe her eyes, her beloved earl stood before her, seemingly as real as herself, holding her gaze tenderly. For a long moment, both were still before the blond moved, smiling and strolling over to her. Their eyes met, his intense red staring into her astonished green, and he reached out to stroke her face softly and slowly.

That was all it took; she was his. Tears of joy spilled over and cascaded down her pale cheek lightly as she embraced him, sobbing, "Oh, Ion,"

"Shh...dear Seth. I'm here. I've finally found you," He shushed her, yet there was a strangeness in his voice, one that her aching heart ignored. He then pushed her away gently, holding her shoulders as she gazed up at him with shimmering emeralds, "How about we go home?"

At first, Seth wanted to jump at the offer, but something came to mind. Uncertain, she looked back at the warm fire that light the shadows of the nearby clearing. What about Inuyasha and the others?

"But what about...? There's these people that helped me and I don't want to leave without a word. I bet they would love to meet you," The girl suggested, moving to return to her feudal allies.

To her surprise, Ion caught her trailing arm firmly, almost roughly. She stopped short in shock and gazed back at him, "What is it? Ion?"

The earl's face was suddenly hard, "No...Don't trust them. They are against you. They are trying to keep you from finding Naraku,"

Confusion assaulted the ruler, "What? I thought Naraku was...I thought he was working with Cain. I heard Cain talking...,"

The blond seemed worried, his eyes strange. He shook his head gravely, "No, my love. He is working against him. He was speaking of him out of fear; he knew that Naraku would only hinder him," Ion explained, "In fact, he was the one who helped me here and will teleport us back to Byzantium. Now, we must go before we are caught,"

Torn and puzzled beyond words, Seth allowed him to pull her into the night. However, there was a commotion back by the fire. She looked back to see Inuyasha running towards them, his friends only yard behind him.

"Seth! Who's there with you? Come back, I smell Naraku!" He yelled after her.

Ion stopped short ahead of her, a curse on his lips. He pulled her suddenly to him and before she knew it, his lips had claimed hers almost roughly but gently and lovingly enough to quell her. Almost as suddenly as it had happened it was over; the blond separated and gazed down at her intently.

"I must leave, my love. I can't be discovered. Don't let them know that you know. I shall return for you..."

With that, he ran from her and the approaching company. She was so confused; this had happened so quickly and she had to act soon. She noticed they had been something weird about him tonight, he didn't seem to be himself. Yet, once again, her heart argued, eager to be back in his arms. She only prayed she would fool her supposed allies.

Nearby, Ion finally stopped his flight near the next wood. He took a moment before he turned back to where he had left Seth. There was a wicked smile on his noble lips. Suddenly, his form wavered and a dark haired man stood in his place, his red eyes devious.

He had succeeded, had placed doubts in the empress' head about her only hope to escape this time period. When he had held her out of false affection, he had felt his prize pulsating within her, the sleeping demon. And with that last kiss, he had bewitched her. It wouldn't be long now...

The empress was under his spell and the demonic power of the Crusnik would soon be his...

**A.N: Reviews are appreciated...  
**


	8. The More the Merrier

**The More the Merrier**

"Are you sure everything is alright? Did something happen last night?"

Kagome's constant questioning was making Seth uneasy. All she could do was assure the priestess that everything was indeed all right and work to keep up with the others.

However, everything was _not_ all right. The empress was so confused, so torn; she didn't know what or who to believe anymore.

There was Inuyasha and his friends who she had thought were her allies, her only friends in this strange time. Then Ion appears out of nowhere and insists that they are the opposite, and that Naraku, the one she had thought was her worst enemy here, was in fact trying to help her. But, Inuyasha and the others seemed so trustworthy; not once did they wrong her or seem against her. Yet, in this strange land, there was no telling at the moment who was right to trust.

It seemed Seth would just have to wait things out. She was almost completely certain that things would become clear in time. Yet, until then, she would still be a little hesitant to trust her present companions.

Only time will tell, she thought somberly…

"You were right, Lord Sesshomaru!" a girl giggled suddenly, somehow right next to her. "Inuyasha does have someone else with him; she's my age too!"

Startled, the ruler jumped, nearly tripping over her own feet. Flying, yes flying, next to her was an eight year old Terran girl, brown haired and eyed, staring at her from the back of a two-headed dragon whose scales were a much lighter brown then the girl's hair. She was laughing in an almost carefree manner, waving, eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun.

"Nice to meet you. My name's Rin," the Terran introduced.

Still quite bewildered, the Crusnik could barely answer. "Hi…Umm, my name's Seth…"

The others hadn't failed to notice the sunny child either. "Hello, Rin. How are you today? Where's Sesshomaru and Jaken?" Kagome questioned warmly, obviously knowing 'Rin'.

The rest of the group had moved to greet the girl as well when a white ball of light appeared before them to change into a more human shape. Then the light melted away to reveal someone who looked quite like a relative of Inuyasha's, someone with similar silver hair, but longer, and golden eyes, but wiser and colder. He wore noble clothes, had several purplish markings on his face and a blue crescent moon on his forehead; he was one of the strangest people she had seen here as of yet.

"Just how many humans are you planning to adopt?" he remarked coldly.

That seemed to easily rile Inuyasha. "Adopt? These humans are my friends, my companions and this new girl, Seth, is just traveling with us for now," the hanyou explained with a growl. "She needs help finding her way back home; apparently Naraku wants her for something and allied himself with one of her enemies and got them to bring her here. And just what are you doing here, Sesshomaru?"

So this was 'Sesshomaru'… He must have been an enemy of Naraku too, from the way Seth saw it, or else Inuyasha probably wouldn't have brought it up. Come to think of it, Koga must have been too. Inuyasha's side was sure looking formidable, especially if they turned out to be really against her. But just exactly who was this Naraku; she knew what he apparently did, but who was he really, what was he like, what did he look like? The little empress couldn't help but wonder.

"What would he want from the likes of her?" Sesshomaru challenged.

Kagome stepped forward boldly. "She may look weak but I've seen her true power. Let's just say, I wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley on a bad night…" she insisted.

Just as she finished her comment, Rin happened to choose that point in time to tackle her new 'playmate'. Seth barely knew what hit her.

"Yes…she's very frightening…even Rin can barely hold her down…" Sesshomaru retorted with sharp sarcasm. "Are you sure you have the right child?"

This was certainly not Seth's day, or week for that matter. At least her nobles weren't around to witness their empress being overpowered by a giggling eight-year-old. Luckily, the dragon appeared to sympathize with her and gently pulled Rin off of her by the scruff of her yukata. The girl didn't seem to mind; she just kept laughing.

"Quiet down, you silly girl," a small voice scolded from, what seemed to be, the ground.

The dragon placed Rin back on her feet a good ways from Seth for the older girl's safety. "Sorry, Master Jaken. I didn't expect to see another kid around my age. She doesn't appear to want to play though…" Rin sounded a bit disappointed.

_Gee, what was your first clue,_Seth growled mentally. Her eyes soon widened in surprise, though, when a green, toad like creature waddled up to them. Seth really needed to get out of this time period, fast, or else she feared her sanity would soon be as gone as Cain's.

"Look, I don't care what you think. Naraku is after her and we need to protect her. Unless you know where to find a place that send people through time then I suggest you leave us to our search." Inuyasha brushed by his brother with a final snarl.

Seth and the others went to follow, the newcomer more cautiously slipping past Rin, but all were stopped when Sesshomaru spoke up. "I do," was all he said.

The hanyou whirled around in surprise and Seth's heart fluttered with hope. "You do?" both asked in sync.

By now, the energetic Rin, the green Jaken, and their two-headed dragon had returned to their leader. They too seemed shocked by Sesshomaru's answer and looked up at him in questioning but didn't appear to doubt him.

The older demon nodded once. "I've walked these lands for centuries. Of course I know of such a place. But why, may I ask, do you need to travel through time?"

The red-clad hanyou looked sheepish; Seth realized that he must have let the time travel bit slip by accident. "Well…it may seem strange but this new girl with us needs it. She's not from our time, or country for that matter. She's the empress of a country on the Continent that will exist a long time from now."

There was a silence as the group wisely left Sesshomaru to consider the strange jade-eyed girl. But, apparently, he wasn't going to get the same quiet from his own group.

"If she's supposed to be alive a bazillion years from now, then how come she's here now?" Alas, Rin and her innocent questions…

Everyone hid their giggles as sweet little Rin stared up at her demon guardian in sincere wonder. Seth swore she saw Sesshomaru smile, even if just for a moment; she hadn't known this demon for long but he didn't strike her as one to smile very often at all. After a brief gaze down at his human companion, the older dog youkai regarded the others once more.

"Rin has a point. How exactly did this 'Seth' get here? Sorcery?" he challenged once more, obviously suspicious.

Inuyasha, Kagome, and their friends seemed to be becoming restless. To move the conversation, Miroku put up his hands in calm, peaceful gesture.

"I'm sure all this is very important, but this is dragging on a bit. I think it'll be better to carry this on in an inn," the monk suggested. "I think we're close to a village. Lord Sesshomaru, do you mind accompanying us for a short while?"

Sesshomaru looked ready to object but with a pair of puppy dog eyes was all it took for his mind to be changed. "It wouldn't hurt…" he sighed.

* * *

"Where exactly is this other time portal? You say it's in a blessed cave?"

Inuyasha's brother nodded once. "I've seen it only once or twice, but never ventured too close. It might be just what you're looking for but it's dangerously close to the lands of East…"

Inuyasha seemed to understand Sesshomaru's worry. "We won't stay too long. We go there, try it out, if it works we leave, if not, we take Seth and try someplace else. It's that simple."

The empress had been listening closely. "Let' s hope so; I don't want to cause more trouble here then I have to…"

The mood around them was grave but wise. The elders of the two groups had formed a circle in the main guestroom, consisting of herself, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku; the other, younger members, Shippo, Rin, and Jaken waited outside impatiently. To Seth, it felt a lot like the Secret Council meetings back in Byzantium.

"But what about Naraku? What if he interferes?" Miroku pressed anxiously.

The others went into thought while Inuyasha answered quickly and rashly. "It's simple: if he shows his ugly mug, we break it. That's all that needs to be said," the hanyou snapped. "Besides, there's about nine of us and a few of him; I think we stand a pretty good chance…Right, Seth?"

Inuyasha flashed a bright smile towards her, but she could only return the action weakly, her mind still plagued by Ion's strange visit and even stranger warning. She still didn't trust that smile, and didn't trust the others either. Neither did she trust Naraku; she wasn't going to jump to conclusions…

Sango's next question brought her back to the meeting. "Will you show us how to get there? We could really use your help; if Naraku captures Seth, it could make him more powerful," she reasoned almost meekly, obviously fearful of the demon lord.

Sesshomaru's golden eyes took in the group before him before he answered. "If that is the case then we might as well come. That vermin doesn't need to get any stronger."

As if she had been waiting for a sign, Rin flung open the door and bounded across the room to her 'playmate'. "Yay! We get to go with Sethy!" she giggled as she once again squeezed the life out of the little empress, who could only struggle just to remain breathing.

"Someone get this girl a leash…"

* * *

She was finally going home! At least that's what the ruler told herself to keep hopeful. The last thing any of them needed right now was to lose faith.

"Seth…"

Someone called her from outside. Around her, everyone else seemed asleep, resting for tomorrow's trip. Silently, carefully, Seth sat up and strained her ears for the call, hoping.

"Seth…"

This time she was sure of it. Ion had returned for her and was waiting outside to take her home. Although she had spent a promising day with the others, one that had almost convinced her that they were the right side, her mind suddenly argued, or was it her heart? It was almost like she was under a spell, but she didn't care. She wanted to be with her earl…

The empress studied Inuyasha and Sesshomaru closely. Both seemed to be sound asleep. Once she was certain, the girl climbed to her feet and headed outside, unaware that one brother wasn't as asleep as she had thought.

"Inuyasha," the awake whispered and nudged the hanyou with little tenderness. "Seth is sneaking out. I think she's up to something…"

Inuyasha moaned and opened his eyes sleepily. "What, Seth? Where do you think she's going?" he murmured, still drowsy.

Sesshomaru was already on his feet. "I don't know but I think Naraku's nearby. Didn't you say you think she came in contact with him yesterday? Maybe he did something to her…"

The younger brother was more alert by now and soon joined Sesshomaru standing up. "That's a good possibility. Should we wake the others?" he asked in a whisper, his golden eyes anxious.

His older brother scanned the room silently. "No. We can't risk too much of a commotion. Besides, there's no time. She could be in that vermin's claws as we speak…"

* * *

"Perfect…"

He smiled to himself behind his ruse. The empress was returning to him like a lost puppy, just like he had planned. Her imploring jade eyes showed no traces of suspicion; she was deep under his spell.

The Crusnik was almost to him when there was a disturbance in the hut from which she had escaped. He cursed silently as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, two of his strongest pursuers, stepped out from it. Their golden eyes searched where they probably thought Seth had gone.

They spotted him quickly…

"Naraku!" Inuyasha snarled before charging at him with his brother at his heels, quiet and dignified as always.

Narkau's target turned quickly at the call, surprise and alarm clear on her pretty face. Still bewitched, Seth ran to him, fleeing from whom he had tricked into thinking was the enemy.

"What are we going to do?" she gasped, her eyes unfocused from his spell; all she saw right now was what he wanted her to see, what she thought was what he wanted her to think.

"Seth! Snap out it! He has you under some spell!" Inuyasha shouted, desperately trying to regain her, trying to free her.

Naraku laughed. "Don't waste your breath, Inuyasha. She's deep under my control. She is beyond your reach now. She is mine…"

At that, the shapeshifter revealed his true form, melting from his young, noble appearance, to his more demonic image. He kept one clawed hand on the bewitched empress' delicate shoulder as she stared at the advancing brothers with a foggy gaze.

By now, the racket had disturbed the others and they were now just making their way outside, confused.

"Look! It's Naraku, and he has Seth!" Kagome gasped in horror.

"What are we going to do?" Shippo whimpered from her shoulder.

Things appeared to be going perfect for Naraku. However, something happened that he hadn't planned; Seth seemed to be snapping out of it. A small moan left the ruler and she began to stir from the spell. It seemed a Crusnik wasn't as easy to control as a human.

But that didn't matter. He had her right where he wanted her.

"What's going on? Where…am I?" Seth murmured, shaking her black head in a daze.

Inuyasha's face cleared; he stood only a few feet away by now. "Seth, get away from him! He put a spell on you!"

"Wha-?" she groaned but then blinked and glanced up at her captor.

Naraku became worried. There was a chance she could escape him; he tightened his grip on her shoulder, making sure it would be harder for her to yank free.

"You're not going anywhere!" he snarled.

Seth seemed to have a different idea. The empress opened her small mouth and fangs appeared before she drove them into his fingers. Blood ran easily from his hand and agony shot up his arm.

"Release me, she-demon!" the shape shifter demanded, trying to free his hand.

Seth then gave him a good kick, sending him backwards, and tried to escape. Unfortunately, no one told her about his miasma, and it poured out of his wound and in seconds she was surrounded by it. The girl fell to her knees; her delicate senses were overwhelmed. Having even stronger senses, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha jumped back, frustrated.

The empress couldn't escape like her allies; she could only cough feverishly as the poisonous air filled her lungs and it wasn't long before her jade eyes became unfocused once more. The Crusnik hit the ground with a feeble thud, unconscious.

Arrogant with triumph, the shapeshifter bent to pick her up. Inuyasha wasn't going to let him go so easily though; the hanyou leapt at him in an attempt to save his strange ally from the future. Naraku's barrier easily deflected his sword and sent him backwards.

With his cold laughter echoing through the miasma thick air, he disappeared from sight and escaped with his prize…

* * *

**A.N:** Now the real conflict begins…Review?


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